A Twist of Fate
by Firenzie
Summary: Ron and Malfoy like Hermione, she likes Seamus; she devises a plan to stop them from liking her. It works better than expected...


A Twist of Fate By Firenze 

Hermione Granger sighed sadly. She couldn't believe how depressing her life was right now. Her and her friends' archenemy Draco Malfoy had a massive crush on her. One of her best friends, Ron Weasley, according to Harry Potter, had "the hots for her". She liked neither one of them. Truly, she had a crush on Seamus, but he and Mandy Brocklehurst from Ravenclaw were going out. She snuggled into her armchair in the common room and read her book. Thankfully, Ron was busy doing work at the library. Harry walked to his seat, which was next to hers, and sat down. "Hey," he called. "Hi." "Ron wanted me to ask you some things." "What?" "Who do you like more, Ron or Malfoy?" "As a friend and wizard, Ron. As a person I like like, neither." "Who do you like?" Harry asked out of curiosity. "Someone with a girlfriend," was her vague reply. Harry scoffed. "That really narrows it down." Hermione sighed. "Someone in our year with a girlfriend." "Right," Harry said skeptically. Hermione sighed again. "Okay, okay. Someone in our year, our house, with a girlfriend," she said in a misty voice. "That leaves Seamus and Dean. I seriously doubt you like Dean, no offense to him, so that leaves..." Hermione indistinctly nodded and promptly looked away. "Really?" Harry replied, open-mouthed. "Wait till I tell Ron! He'll flip!" "No!" she cried. "You're the only one who can know! So don't tell anyone, or a painting, or a ghost, not a single soul, alive or living, not anything in the world. For now on, you can just forget that I even told you. By the way, you said Ron wanted to ask me some things. You just asked me one thing." "Will you go out with him?" She laughed hollowly. "Sure," she replied sarcastically. "You know what I need?" "What?" "A boyfriend." 

Harry grinned. "I can think of two people..." "Oh shut up. I mean a fake boyfriend, so they can stop bothering me." "I can help," he said. "To narrow it down. So what year, what house?" Hermione thought for a while. "Well, I'd like someone from our year to one year higher. And my first choice would be a Gryffindor, second choice Ravenclaw. No Hufflepuffs and definitely no Slytherins." "Okay. So your first choice is Gryffindor, 5th year. Ron is whom you're trying to lose. Seamus and Dean are taken. That leaves Neville and...well, me." "Okay, keep going. My second choice is Ravenclaw, 5th year." "That leaves Terry Boot. He's the only one without a girlfriend." Hermione scoffed. "Seriously, Terry Boot?" Harry laughed too. "Possibly the hugest nerd in Hogwarts history. It's no wonder he doesn't have a girl. So I'm guessing your next choice is Gryffindor, 6th year." Hermione nodded. "That leaves Scott Daniels and Shawn Moore. We all know Scott is stuck on Katie and Shawn is getting awfully friendly with Cho Chang..." He looked a little downcast and trailed off. Hermione secretly knew Harry used to have a huge crush on Cho Chang in his third and fourth years. Nobody else knew and Harry didn't even tell her, but she could see it in his actions around her and at the Quidditch matches versus Ravenclaw. "Ravenclaw, 6th year?" she asked desperately. "They've all got girlfriends. So you're left with Neville and Terry. Your pick." He grinned. 

Hermione sighed for the umpteenth time that day. It was between Neville, the absentminded, clumsy, stumbling, round-faced, wimp, or Terry the nerdy, dorky, pathetic, extremely ugly, stupid, gangly, geek. "Wow, what a choice!" she cried, with sarcastic enthusiasm. "I'm really gonna shake off Ron and Malfoy with those two. Unless..." 

"Unless what?" Harry asked a bit nervously. It didn't sound so good... 

"Unless you can pretend to be my boyfriend..." 

Harry gulped. He had been right in thinking it wouldn't be good. "Ermmm..." He had no idea what to do or say. Instead, he laughed nervously. "Y-you're kidding right?" 

Hermione shook her head. "I'm dead serious Harry. I mean it. Ron is your best friend; he won't hate you. Malfoy already hates your entrails, he'll just be more jealous of you, that's one up. You're the most popular guy in school, they'll realize they have no chance, they'll both stop liking me, and I'll be free! 

"I swear Harry, I won't ever make you do anything like this again ever if you do it and I'll help you with all your homework and anything. So please? Do it for me, for Ron, for Malfoy, for you! I mean, they've both gone delirious. And you don't have a girlfriend right now, so if Lavender and Parvati think we're going out, they'll quit stalking you. Sure they'll hate my guts and Ron will be ticked off at you for a while, and once he gets over this insane crush, we can tell him the truth and that's that." 

Harry raised his eyebrows. "I never took you as the desperate type Hermione." 

"But I am desperate right now. I need to get Ron back to Earth and having Malfoy stalk me, and pull out my chair, and open doors for me...it's degrading! Imagine [Pansy] Parkinson doing this to you! And think of Lavender and Parvati. 

"Please, Harry, I'm begging you. It'll only be for a week or so, I promise. You don't have to hold my hand, put your arm around me, hug, kiss, or anything. We just have to let it slip somehow and hang around each other a lot, plan fake dates, just pretend flirt and stuff..." 

Harry could see how much she hated her archenemy and best friend suddenly mooning over her. "Oh, all right. But how will they find out?" 

"I know exactly how. I make a fake diary and accidentally leave it for Ron to read." 

Harry agreed that this was a good idea. "Okay, do you have a diary?" 

~ 

Dear Diary, Hello, this is Hermione. This is my first time writing in a diary. I feel rather foolish, but I heard it's a good way to let out your feelings. And I am in quite a dilemma... Okay, here it is. Two weeks ago, Draco Malfoy started acting a lot nicer to me and Harry, but not Ron. Ron started acting incredibly strange too. They started to pull out my chairs for me, open doors for me, act nicer, never insult or tease, but compliment me... 

The bottom line: it was inexplicably and enigmatically odd and I knew something was going on. According to Harry, it was a little something called LOVE. He also told me why Malfoy and Ron were at it more than ever: both of them had enormously huge crushes on me and they were apparently competing for my affections. This was insane! How can my rival and my one of my best friends like me? 

To be truthful, I liked neither of them, and my feelings towards Malfoy didn't change a jot. Being around Ron was incredibly awkward, so I had no one to hang out with but Harry. We started to get a bit closer every time we were alone... I never imagined I could start to like him again! The first time was just the crush on a hero, when I first read about him. But now...it's real. So it's not impossible to fall for a friend... It could be a phase, but I seriously doubt it. The way I feel towards Harry is so indescribable. 

Here's how it all got started. One day, Harry was supposed to ask me if I'd go out with Ron. So he did, but I said no. Then, Harry asked if I would consider going out with him. I blushed. We talked for a long time. I found out he felt exactly the same way! So I told him yes to his question and then he kissed me! On the lips, too, not just on the cheek. It was the most terrific thing in the world! I swear I saw fireworks! 

I really want to tell Ron and Malfoy that I'm now taken, just so they will lay off. But that would break Ron's heart according to Harry, and although it would be great to make Malfoy jealous... So I must keep these indescribable feelings inside. Harry said it was hard for him too, and he was yearning to shake off Lavender and Parvati. Nevertheless, our bond is getting stronger and I feel so carefree with Harry! 

Well, I admitted more than I was willing to Diary, so I'll stop here. Expect more later on! How was this for a first diary entry, eh? (Canadian thing, don't know why I wrote it; I must have been high, Harry can do that to you) *ah, Harry...* Just kidding, just kidding! Well, I must get going Diary! Write more later on! These are a great way to let out your feelings. Love always, Hermione 

Ron gaped. Hermione was with Harry! Oh, heartbreak...' he thought to himself. How could he not see it? Of course! When Hermione had been hiding from him, she needed someone else. But why Harry? 'Oh well, at least it's not Malfoy. Malfoy! He'll be steamed! Ha! Maybe it's a good thing after all. I can see them together...' But still... How could Harry do this to him? 

~ 

"So?" Hermione asked at nighttime in the Gryffindor common room, in an armchair that she never usually sat in, to the left of the roaring fire. 

"So what?" he asked causally. 

"What else Harry? Did Ron read it? Did he tell you?" 

Harry nodded. "He had to see it. Is he still pulling out your chair?" 

Hermione shook her head. "It's a relief. But Malfoy has no idea..." 

"He can read it too. Just how will he find it..." 

"I know!" she piped up. "We just need him to come with us, or me actually, to the library." 

"Yeah, I'll tell him." 

"Just don't insult him or anything. You're just passing on the word, okay?" 

"Okay. But I'm going to kind of miss Malfoy following you around everywhere." 

"What?" Hermione cried in amazement. 

"It was cool for him to not be mean to all of us. I mean, he actually can be nice; before, I never thought it." 

"Yeah. But I have a plan. Tell him to meet me at five o'clock tomorrow at the library. And tell him to come alone, no goons. I'll say that I don't truly like him and leave behind my diary." 

"Isn't that a little harsh? Breaking his heart telling him that you don't like him and enraging him by letting him find out that you're going out with me, his rival and worst enemy?" 

"Sure, it's harsh and he has been acting surprisingly nice, but remember all the years of insults, teasing, my official nickname becoming 'Mudblood', everything he's done to be mean to us, to get us in trouble...two weeks of favors, good deeds, and kindness doesn't repay for five years of torture." 

Harry agreed that she was right. "Yeah, okay. And do you want me to ask Ron or talk to him if he's read the diary?" 

"No, I have an idea." 

"Chalk up another one for the great Hermione." 

"Whatever." She buried her nose in her thick book. 

"So what's this great idea?" 

~ 

Hermione walked into the Great Hall the next morning. She walked over to her regular seat. To her delight, Ron didn't pull out her chair for her. "I must admit, Ron, after you and Malfoy have pulling out my chair for the past few weeks, I think I forgot how." 

Ron blushed, and Harry and Hermione chuckled. 

"Then allow me Hermi," Harry said in a butler voice. He gracefully pulled her chair back, took her hand, and seated her on the chair. He pushed it back in, while Hermione giggled. 

"Thank you Mr. Potter." 

"My pleasure Mademoiselle." He sat back down in his seat and scooted noticeably closer to her. 

"You two do make a good couple," Ron mused. 

"What?" Hermione cried. 

"Don't be a kidder Ron," Harry added. 

"I'm serious. You guys are a great couple." 

"Ron, I've only had one boyfriend, but I'm sure you have to be a couple to make a great one." 

Ron sighed. "I knew I'd have to tell you sometime. You two don't have to hide it anymore with me, see?" 

Hermione and Harry tried to look like they were trying to look innocently puzzled. "What do you mean?" Harry asked, misleadingly falsely curious. 

"Give it up you two. Hermione...I - I read your diary. I know." 

"What?" Hermione cried, in fake astonishment. "Ron how could you?" 

"It's just, you left it behind and I saw it, and I had to read it... I'm sorry. But I know about you two, so that's enough hiding, covering it up. And I must admit, you two are the greatest couple. I can't believe I never saw it! Now, it seems so incredibly obvious." 

Hermione and Harry were shocked. It was supposed to be an act, and now Ron thought they were a great couple! It worked much better than planned. But it made them both think. Instead, still acting, Hermione and Harry blushed, but falsely beamed. 

"How long do we have to fake this?" Harry muttered to Hermione under his breath. 

"Malfoy still doesn't know," she mumbled back. "Oh, Ron, can you pass the toast please?" 

She leaned over to grab the plate from him. "Tell Malfoy," she whispered to Harry, as she stretched to get the plate of toast. 

"You guys are so cute!" Ginny suddenly piped up. 

"What?" Hermione asked in disbelief, as she sat back in her seat, holding the plate of toast. 

"I mean you two, Harry and you. You make the sweetest couple. That was so adorable, Hermione, how you pretended you wanted toast to whisper something in Harry's ear." 

Hermione blushed a bright red. Ron looked away hastily. 

"Ron, did you tell anyone else besides Ginny?" Harry asked nervously. 

"Ermmm..." Ron squirmed uneasily and mumbled something under his breath. "I...uhhh...might have." 

"Ron!" Hermione cried in incredulity. "Who else? How many did you tell? You didn't tell Lavender and Parvati, did you?" 

Ron looked down at his omelet. "What if I did?" he asked timidly. 

"Great Wizards Ron! The whole school must know now, if you told those blabbermouths!" 

Ron squirmed. "Ummm...sorry?" 

Hermione sighed in disbelief, and Harry nervously ran his fingers through his hair. 

"Ron, this was supposed to be a secret! That's why Hermione and I never told you!" Harry cried. 

"I thought it was because you didn't want to hurt my feelings," he mumbled. 

Hermione buried her face in her hands. "That was only a small part." She was beginning to feel odd. Her plan was working out, strangely. And she wasn't quite acting anymore, she actually felt like Harry and she had been secretly going out and they didn't want anyone to know. 

Harry somehow knew exactly what she was experiencing, and he clandestinely felt that way too. "It's okay Ron," he said decidedly. "After all, I am dating the girl you had a crush on. So really, I should be sorry. I'm also sorry that you had to find out through a diary." 

Hermione looked away. "But...but...who knows about us, besides Ginny, Lavender, and Parvati?" she asked Ron. 

"Hey Hotlips!" Dean Thomas called to Harry. "How's it going?" 

"And Dean," she added. 

"Ummm...well, Seamus, and Neville, and Patil, and probably everyone in school," Ron said timidly. 

"That wouldn't include the Slytherins?" Hermione asked, already knowing the answer. 

"Potty and Gangly, sittin' in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" called out an obnoxious, snotty voice. Of course, it was Draco Malfoy. 

"Looks like he found out," Hermione mused. "Guess we can forget about the diary thing." 

"Not much heartbreak," Harry said. 

"And no trace of jealousy." 

"What are you guys talking about?" Ron asked them. "If it's that Malfoy is taking the news surprisingly well, it's because he's somehow convinced everyone that he was under the influence of a love potion." 

"Made by Hotlips!" Seamus piped up. 

"Will you stop calling me that?" Harry asked irritably. 

"Hey, don't do the kissin' if you don't want the dissin'," Seamus laughed, and walked away. 

Harry turned red, and Hermione tinged pink, even though they had never kissed each other, let alone anyone in their lives. Harry knew he would be stuck with this nickname for only a short while though, as all the guys would actually be kissing their girlfriends in next to no time. 

Hermione stood up. "Harry, can I talk to you?" 

Harry nodded and got up, while everyone at the Gryffindor table oohed, ahhed, snickered, giggled, sniggered, and sighed happily. 

"Oh, shut up," Hermione growled, as she walked into the deserted hallway. Harry followed her, knowing just what she was going to say to him. 

"Harry, this is getting weird." 

He nodded. "I know." 

"Should we tell everyone?" Hermione tried to keep the conversation vague, since he knew what she meant and what she was going to say anyway. 

"I don't know. I don't really see a point in faking anymore." 

"I know. Mission was easily accomplished. So we should just tell them all, right?" 

"There's nothing to be gained but teasing." 

Hermione nodded. "So it's settled. We go back in and just break it to them." 

"I hope the truth spreads just as fast as rumors and gossip." 

Hermione agreed, and they walked back in the Great Hall. The students reacted the same way when they came in as they did when they left. They sat back down in their seats, and Hermione, for the first time in weeks, pulled out her own chair. 

"Ron, we have to confess something to you." Harry looked right at him. 

Ron could tell it was something they needed to get out, and fast. "Okay. Here and now, or in private." 

"Here's just fine," Hermione burst in. 

"All right." He guessed it wasn't as serious as he thought. 

"Ron, ummm...you know how I can get fed up with things easily?" Hermione asked him. It wasn't what she had planned to say, and it was very strange for her to ask something like that. 

Ron raised his eyebrows. "Yeah?" he asked hesitantly. 

"Well, the way you and Malfoy did so many things for me...I got really sick of it. I wanted to find a way to make you two stop liking me, so you would leave me alone. 

"So I devised a plan. I needed to find a fake boyfriend. Well, once it was narrowed down, I was left with Neville and Terry...so I asked Harry to pretend we were going out, to get Malfoy jealous and for you to know that I was taken. That diary was entirely fake." Hermione paused and took a deep breath. 

"Harry and I are not, and have never been going out; I never, ever had a crush on him; and we of course, never kissed each other, let alone anyone in our lives." 

Ron was taken aback. "You-you guys were faking the whole time?" 

"I'm sorry Ron," Harry apologized quickly. 

"Don't be. Thanks for bringing me back down to Earth. Don't know what I was thinking..." 

"Hey, you got to admit, Hermione is pretty," Harry said. 

Hermione and Ron stared at him. Then Hermione burst out laughing. "Cut it out Harry, Ron already knows the truth, there's no need to fake it anymore." 

Harry laughed. "I'm getting a little used to this role," he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck, embarrassedly. 

Ron oohed, and Hermione punched him in the shoulder. They all laughed. 

~ 

It was six o'clock at night. Harry and Ron were at the library, finishing their essay for Transfiguration. Hermione was settled in an armchair near the fire in the common room, which had been her recent hangout, replacing the library. She was reading (what a surprise!) a thick book (does Hermione read any other kinds?) and was very contented. Her life was slowly coming back to normal; Ron and Malfoy didn't like her anymore and weren't afraid to go back to teasing her, Harry and her were just friends and no one called Harry 'Hotlips', or ridiculed them, and everything was the way it used to be, the way it should be. 

Just when it was getting interesting, someone put their hands over her eyes. "Guess who?" they called. 

Hermione struggled. "Harry, what are you doing, you twit?" she laughed. 

"Awww...how'd you guess it was me?" he asked, taking his hands away. 

"You tend to catch on after five years, you know?" They both chuckled. "Seriously Harry, what on Earth were you doing? And where's Ron?" 

"Ron's still finishing his essay. And well, I had been doing some thinking. A lot actually. And I realized something important. So, I really need to talk to you. In private." 

Hermione saw it was serious. "Well, we can go out by the lake, but the sun is setting, and it's going to be dark soon." 

"It won't take too long." They silently walked out the portrait hole, down the stairs, through the corridors, and out the door. Nobody was outside, although the sun was setting, and the scenery was very beautiful. They sat down under a weeping willow tree, near the lake. 

"Wow, the sunset's gorgeous," Hermione mused, gazing at it. 

Harry gazed not at the sun, but at her. "Not as gorgeous as you." 

Hermione whipped around and stared at him. "Honestly Harry, what's with you? I told you, everyone knows, we don't have to pretend anymore." 

"I'm not pretending," he said mistily. 

"Are you all right Harry?" Hermione put her hand to his forehead, pushed his bangs aside, and felt for his temperature, but it was normal. 

"Never been better." He then did the last thing she would expect: he grabbed her hand off his forehead and kissed it. Hermione was in total shock, as she drew her hand back. 

"Harry, are you okay?" She peered at him nervously, and he laughed. 

In the faraway voice, he said, "You're so adorable." 

"And you're a regular Prince Charming," she said dryly. "Really Harry, what's going on? You are Harry...aren't you?" she asked uncertainly. 

He laughed again. He looked into her eyes, at the same time she looked into his. They were silent for a while. Harry, not knowing what to say, croaked out, "I-I'm Harry." 

Hermione giggled. "So anyway, what was so important and secretive that we had to go outside to talk about it?" 

"Well, I was doing my essay for Transfiguration, but I couldn't really concentrate. My mind started to wander. I started to really think about things. Like really intensely, deeper than I had ever thought about anything before. I thought mostly about people: about my parents, the Dursleys, Ron, Dumbledore, Hagrid, Voldemort and Tom Riddle, and well, errr...you." He paused again. 

Hermione was quite silent. Was what she thought was happening, really happening? 

"Well, when I thought about you, I remembered basically everything." 

"Like what?" she asked softly. 

"Well, I told you it was extreme. I remembered the first time I ever saw you, when we first met, when Ron and I saved you from the troll on Halloween in our first year, the first time we got out of bed in the middle of the night, everything and every adventure we had, the time when we were trying to protect the Sorcerer's Stone, when you first hugged me..." 

Hermione peered at him. She had been listening quite intently, but a question popped up in her head. "Why were you thinking of these things? And no wonder you spent hours at the library; if you thought that much things about me, imagine how long you were thinking about Dumbledore, and Hagrid, Vol- uhhh...You-Know-Who, Tom Riddle, the Dursleys, Ron, your parents, Cho!" 

Harry stared at her. That was the first time she almost said Voldemort's name! But... "I didn't say Cho." 

"But you thought about her. It's natural to think about people you had crushes on." 

Harry's face tinged. "How did you know?" 

"It's a girl thing. Anyway, get back to your point. So you thought about everything that's happened to us. Then what?" 

"You don't see yet?" he asked in surprise. 

"Maybe," she said mysteriously, although she wasn't entirely sure that she was right. "It would be nice to hear it straight out of your mouth." 

"Well, then I took more recent events into account...and I realized that...I realized that, well...if Ron and Malfoy hadn't gotten over their crush on you so soon, and we had to act like we were a couple...I really wouldn't have to act at all. Hermione, I really, really like you." Hermione wasn't really in shock. It had been what she thought. But she gasped nonetheless. She thought Harry was really brave for going straight out and telling her, not making Ron tell or, or find it out in a fake diary, or do favors for her: carry her bag and books, open doors for her, pull out her chair. And since he was so courageous, she decided she should tell him the truth too. "I really, really like you too Harry." 

They were both quiet again. It was really awkward, and they didn't know what to say or do. Hermione watched the sunset. It was actually quite romantic. "Harry," she started, looking up. "I - " 

But she was cut off. Her sentence was cut short, because Harry had planted a kiss on her lips. It truly was the most terrific thing in the world. And coincidently, they both saw fireworks. 

"Wow," Hermione said lamely, at a complete loss for words. "That - that was...ummm..." 

"Don't talk," Harry whispered. Hermione was quiet. 

Together, they watched the sun set below the green hills; watched the sky go from golden, to yellow orange, to pale orange, tangerine, red orange pinkish, magenta, to violet and deep purple, to indigo, midnight blue, and finally, black. The moon was full and the sky was filled with stars. It was incredibly romantic. They realized they should go back up to the castle now. 

Harry stuck out his hand and helped Hermione up. In silence, they walked up the hill to the castle. Neither of them realized that they were still holding hands; when Harry helped her up, he never let go. They went up to the Gryffindor Tower, climbed in the portrait hole, and saw everybody staring at them. 

Awkwardly, they looked down at their feet and stammered. "Ummm...errrr...uhhh... errmm..." All the Gryffindors eyes burned into them. "Good night," Harry finally mumbled, although it was only around eight o'clock on a Friday night. 

"Good night," she replied blandly, and began to ascend up the stairway leading to the girls' dorm. Harry started up the opposite staircase, changed his mind, and turned around. 

"Hermione!" he called after her. 

She stopped in her tracks and turned around. "Yes?" 

"Wait!" Harry ran up the stairs to catch up with her. Ignoring the prying eyes on them, he gave Hermione a long, passionate kiss. "Goodnight Hermione," he whispered in her ear. 

She was shocked. "Good-goodnight," she stammered. 

Harry went down the stairs, not embarrassed, or shy, or anything but happy and contented. He took no notice of anyone, and went up to his dorm. 

Hermione was lying on her bed, thinking. A lot had happened in two days. She had never believed in fate before, but what she had with Harry was...something. Whatever it was, she didn't care. She sighed happily. She couldn't believe how contenting her life was right now. 

THE END 

That's it! I finally finished it! It was my first romance fanfic, and only my third altogether. So please be nice; I hope you enjoyed it. Sorry, I was in a real rush to finish it, and I can never close stories properly. Oh, and I'm not even really a Harry/Hermione person, so it was pretty hard to write. 

All characters and places belong to J.K. Rowling, Bloomsbury Publishing, Scholastic Books, etc. Scott Daniels and Shawn Moore are people I created so you can't use them. 


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